[Closed] Riding with a club

Sweet.

I know your feelings.  When I was looking for one I looked at a couple of established ones and felt a little intimidated by the craic they had etc.  Found a newish club and went from there.  There was no need to feel intermediate either as the established clubs are all a good bunch it's just a thing I have personally.

Have fun man 🙂

Glad to hear it. A cycling club is a very personal choice and everyone will want something different from it, whether it's structured training, racing, club runs or just people to sit in the pub with and yak about bikes.

I got involved with our club through the back door, so to speak - I started taking the kids to an evening coaching session. Then I started to help out with the kids. Then I started to do club runs. Then the kids started to do club runs. Then I became a qualified coach. Then I started to do the faster club runs. Then the kids started racing. Then I added more coaching qualifications. Then I joined the committee. Then I realised that it had taken over my life...

The important thing is that your club is aligned to what you want from cycling but if you can fall in with people who like similar things to you (or, perhaps more importantly, you can keep up with!) then it will really help to broaden your cycling experience.

For me, I joined as a mountain biker from childhood with no interest in anything else. Now...well, I ride everything from audaxes to CX to time-trialling. OK, so I don't do quite as much time on the MTB as I used to, but I spend far longer in the saddle, I'm fitter (although not "fit" yet!) and love my cycling more than ever. I also have an appreciation for a wider view of the sport which means that my kids are getting the same wide exposure and this has resulted in a daughter who has found she loves social road riding and a son who loves racing track and CX. Neither would have found these without the club.

I really hope you enjoy it! Next stop - some club kit to wear 🙂

I'm looking forward to Saturday afternoons post where you complain about being a newbie that no one talked to and the bit where everyone rode off leaving you behind 🙂

I often ride with a club, never know when you'll need to hit someone over the head. Never had a cylcing specific one though, or spent so much time deliberating over which one to get. I think you are over thinking it a bit TBH, any old short and easily swingable club should do.

I’m looking forward to Saturday afternoons post where you complain about being a newbie that no one talked to and the bit where everyone rode off leaving you behind

Hahaha, I have had this exact experience.

I was a member of a MTB club for years but a couple of incidents made me rethink whether it was something I wanted to be part of / some of the members were people I wanted to be aligned with so left.

Then i got more into road riding (via the back door, I got a gravel bike for a mixed surface commute, enjoyed the road side, got an N+1 road bike) then realised you could go further and faster in a group so tried a couple and then found a club i liked. Subsequently became a qualified ride leader (internal but part of the constitution to benefit from certain perks / insurance) and then became the club rides co-ordinator, which has put me on first name terms with a dozen or so coffee shops in the area.

@saxonrider - If you find this club isn't the right one, don't dismiss them all. I too tried at least one that was a "newbie that no one talked to and the bit where everyone rode off leaving you behind" experience but they aren't all like that.

Every night on my way home, i pass a  big sign for the local super serious, 83 year old, roadie club which says "Club Run meets here 9 a.m. Sundays - All Welcome"

I'm often tempted to rock up one morning on my Fatbike wearing baggies and a backpack just to witness the horrified looks i'd get.

i’m often tempted to rock up one morning on my Fatbike wearing baggies and a backpack just to witness the horrified looks i’d get.

ask them if they have a spare cup of water too?

My 8 year old grandson is doing a topic this year on Saxons.  Apparently they had big heavy clubs with spikes in which they used to kill animals and procure their wives.  You're probably going to need a pannier rack to ride with one of them.

I’m often tempted to rock up one morning on my Fatbike wearing baggies and a backpack just to witness the horrified looks i’d get.

It's OK, they'll smile indulgently at you and then murder you on the first climb 🙂

A good club run should set expectations before you join it - they should give you a good idea of distance, terrain (our club has a specific "hill" section if you want to climbing!), speed etc. You should also know whether it's a "drop ride" or not - i.e. will they wait for you, or leave you behind. Just be aware that if you join an 18mph ride and can only do 12mph tops, you might get some grumpy looks if people are waiting for you on every hill. Best to start at the bottom and work up until you find the run (and riders) that suit your style.

I’m often tempted to rock up one morning on my Fatbike wearing baggies and a backpack just to witness the horrified looks i’d get.

You'll have to try a bit harder than that if you are seeking attention. There's a chap in our club who has been riding TTs on a fat bike fitted with tri bars for years. He gets a few grins, but no one is horrified.

Every time this discussion comes up, there always seems to be a number of people with no desire to join a club (nothing wrong with that) complaining about the clubs they don't want to be members of!

Hope you have a nice run at the weekend, OP, and that the club is what you are looking for.

Rounders bat fits more easily in the frame....

It’s OK, they’ll smile indulgently at you and then murder you on the first climb

Seems a bit extreme. I’d expect maybe a bit of light punching or a kick in the nuts.

Just for balance i found my club welcoming and helpful.  Not only have i made new friends, ive learned a lot about cycling, been challenged to ride with a whole range of riders with different/superior skills, been in many organised trips that i probably wouldnt have experienced by myself and enjoyed many coffees and banter.

Importanty that includes organisational, contributory and marshalling/event opportunities to put back into the sport for new and experience cyclists alike

In my experience my club and its members are in some way responsible for my increased enjoyment and development as a cyclist for which i remain thankful to them - from those that dragged me back on In the early days  and those that challenge me now. 🙂

Clubs can be awesome

I too have had very positive experiences riding with a club.

Like any group of people there might be people who are harder to get on with than others but you're essentially just a bunch of grown-ups going out for a bike ride.

Try not to be too put off if there are sections where there isn't much chat - sometimes everyone is just concentrating on riding in a bunch!

He's invited me too.  I might go 🙂

I hope they encourage you to get down the velodrome SaxonRider, I think you'd appreciate it and be good at it.  However for the road rides you'll need to work on your wheel holding 🙂  Best hang around at the back the first few goes .... I'll keep you company!

I was wandering through the jungle when I met a hunter dragging a lion.

‘Bloody hell’ I remarked, ‘what did you kill that with?’

‘Me Club’ he replied.

‘Must be a big club’

’Yup, there’s about 30 of us’

New club politics can be just as good as old club politics, but with nobody able to use the “its always been that way” approach - enjoy!

However for the road rides you’ll need to work on your wheel holding

I’m with you there.

@mooman has tried to help me with that, too, but my first experience with his club was that they were <i>very</i> fast. I have never wanted to hold other riders back, and I constantly felt that by moving up the chain, I was just getting in the way. In any case, by the end of that ride, I just couldn’t hold anyone’s wheel anymore and got dropped.

Here I am, however, about four kilos heavier than I want to be but about as fit as I will be able to get on my own, conscious of the fact that when it comes to finding a club and just getting on with it, it’s now or never.

Group rides aren't necessarily chain gangs.  They're different things.  For a group ride I think you can just sit on the back - the slower riders get towed as long as they can handle it, the faster ones do the work, everyone gets a workout.

I often ride with a club, never know when you’ll need to hit someone over the head.

When I first saw the title I thought it might be someone revisiting how to deal with annoying dogs when cycling.

I’m looking forward to Saturday afternoons post where you complain about being a newbie that no one talked to and the bit where everyone rode off leaving you behind

Well, here I am, and I am delighted to report that this did NOT happen. I did fall of the back twice, but managed to get back on on two climbs. One of the riders held back and piloted me back on one occasion.

So essentially, I have some ways to go before I can take all of my turns on the front and stay with the group without falling off, but all in all, it was a very successful ride.

I am on cloud nine, and think that, if this is the way club is, then it is definitely the one for me.

Glad to hear it; club rides should never be about putting the hammer down and dropping people or making them suffer .. those rides are completely different things. A good club ride will be about a bit of social and banter; coffee and cake .. and maybe a bit of an effort at the end for those wanting to empty the legs.

What club is it James? the new Cowbridge one??

I am on cloud nine, and think that, if this is the way club is, then it is definitely the one for me.

You've just described my first few club rides.   Being dropped and then helped back on by club members whilst riding beside me offering advice.  And its a lovely thing when you become one with the "group", are taking turns and can contribute.

I'm now able to join in the fun on targeted climbs and particularly sprints where reputation has built itself, and in my case without even a word of mouth people will join in and tow you up hills, provide you a lead out on a sprint sections, or just offer you a appreciative nod as they come past after a flick of the elbow off the front.  And of course, you'll do the same for other riders without a thought.

Glad you enjoyed it Saxonrider, speaking for myself I hope its the same for you that it becomes quite addictive!

What club is it James? the new Cowbridge one??

Hey Ant. It’s Veloflow, based here in Cardiff. And I have to thank you for getting me going with Paragon earlier this summer. Just the fact that I was with you on a Saturday ride meant that I knew a lot more in terms of what to expect, and how to behave as part of the chain.

Riding with a club once in a while is a nice change but a tunnocks is what you really need on longer rides

Glad you had fun, I still intend to come along at some point.

Nice one!

Generally if you say something along the lines of "This is at my limit, I'll skip my turn on the front", "I'm done, I'll sit on the back" or "I'll see you at the cafe" then no-one really minds. Next time you do a bit better until eventually you can take your turn on the front for the whole ride. Basically you are saying: "I'm not just going to be a wheelsucker but I need to get up to speed with my fitness."

That’s great; Veloflow have some really good racers - and some really nice people within the club. So if you decided that you want to actually pin a number on, there would be lots of encouragement and great advice available.

Snazzy club kit too👍

Remember....

NO HALF WHEELING

That is the most heinous crime possible on a club run.

Which is why I'd never get on with a club. Too many rules and etiquette. I just like going out for a fun ride. Some of the MTB clubs are a bit too rule based also.

I can understand the need for the rules on the road though.

Some clubs - or more specifically, those Special club members; dont help themselves with their strict adherence toclub rules.

Some scare off new members by telling them they can only come on 2 club rides - then they got to pay membership .. I feel this doesnt promote a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Far better to allow them to join because they want to become part of the club.
Or insisting everyone has to wear a helmet. Nobody is legally obliged to wear a helmet - so if they don`t want to wear a helmet to protect their head, or knee pads to protect their knees if they fall if, its ultimately their decision to weigh up the risks and wear what they want.

The half-wheeling is a funny one. Once again its only the Special club members who insist on this .. and generally nobody takes those Special club members too serious anyways.

THE only rule I think all clubs should adhere to is the not spitting or clearing your nose whilst there are riders behind you. A face full of snot or spit is gonna upset anyone!

Half wheeling, that's a reasonable thing - if you're overlapped with someone's wheel and they swerve, you're going down and so is everyone behind you.  This is strictly observed on the track.

Also I think mudguards are pretty important.

The two (or N) rides before becoming a member is mainly down to insurance. Besides, turning up week after week is just taking the piss (see the thread about freeloading a cycling event).

Half-wheeling is a safety issue - in a tight group if the rider you are half-wheeling suddenly moves to the side to avoid a pothole or similar then you are on the way to eating tarmac.

.

Also I think mudguards are pretty important.

Funny enough, there was only one rider with mudguards this morning. But we were all so utterly soaked, and our faces so covered in road water, that I don’t think the most full-coverage mudguards would have made a difference.

I think there's a misunderstanding about what 'half-wheeling' is by some folk here. The more accepted definition is if you're riding side-by-side on the front, if one of you is always pushing half a wheel ahead of the other then the speed of the group cranks up. It's easy to find yourself doing it without even realising, but some folk do it on purpose which is annoying (bit not necessarily dangerous).

http://stevetilford.com/2013/08/05/half-wheeling/

As for all the 'rules' - there are loads of made-up rules and everyone has their own pet rule that is the most importantest ever. As far as I'm concerned, as long as someone rides with a good level of awareness and consideration for those around them then they're fine by me.

Unless they're wearing socks I don't like in which case I will push them off.

EDIT: forgot to say - glad you had fun OP! BIKE RIDING IS GREAT.

molgrips - you don't seem understand the term "halfwheeling". it's nothing to do with wheel overlap.

I got punched once on a club run for supposedly halfwheeling a clubmate.
We'd been side by side at the front of the group on the flat holding the same pace for over a mile and the gradient rose slightly. I held the same pace. He started struggling, lost the plot and punched me while mumbling something about me "halfwheeling" him. I just laughed and eased off. Old roadies look kinda brittle.

Which is why I’d never get on with a club. Too many rules and etiquette.

I've been in various different clubs over 30+ years and I don't ever recall having problems with "too many rules and etiquette". We just got on with enjoying riding bikes.

The reason half wheeling is unpopular is nothing to do with safety. A half wheeler is constantly pushing just a little bit above the comfort level of the group. They drift ahead, forcing the person next to them to increase their speed to catch up, whereupon the cycle is repeated. So a half wheeler disrupts the smooth operation of the group and can eventually break things up if they are strong enough and persistent. In a good social group where noone is trying to prove themselves, riders on the front will set a pace that is mutually conmfortable, take their spell and then move off to let someone else take their turn.

Half wheeling is just anti social!

When I have been on the front of group riides and have inadvertently upped the pace the person next to me simply tells me to slow down a bit. Seems to work just fine.

@geex if someone threw a punch at me while riding there is no way I would just laugh it off. Congratulations on your restraint. 👏

Glad you had a good time SaxonRider. You soon get used to the group ride vibe IME and it’s such a strange feeling to look down at your bike computer and see that you are riding at 10kmh faster than you think you are.

LOLS  at the people trying to explain half wheeling and getting it completely wrong. 😁

I'd always considered half-wheeling and overlapping wheels to be synonyms but apparently not. I stand (sit?) corrected.

Half-wheeling = pushing on ahead of your partner = anti-social increase in pace.

Overlapping= Not sitting level with your partner= safety issue.

Sounds like mooman should not join a club.

Ah ok, misunderstood then.

Funny enough, there was only one rider with mudguards this morning. But we were all so utterly soaked, and our faces so covered in road water, that I don’t think the most full-coverage mudguards would have made a difference

I'd be more worried about grit and road crap getting in my eyes, especially as a contact lens wearer.

Sounds like trail_rat is one of those Special club members .. or maybe just a nobber.

Glad someone has explained what half wheeling actually is; its one of those terms the newbies often get wrong/mixed up. Theres lots of ways of discouraging people half wheeling intentionally - and lots of ways to explain to those doing it unintentionally.

Mudguards like not spitting or snotting over your shoulder is merely politeness and consideration to those riding behind you.

Sounds like mooman should not join a club.

Why not? He’s been a member of a good club for years, and gets along with his riding mates very well. Plus, he’s both hospitable to new riders and generous in his assessment of them.

Helmets are compulsory at my road club . A few too many mishaps in a short space of time and the rule was put in place. Personally I think its a good thing. I dont want to be the one trying to help someone whose injury could have been reduced significantly by wearing a helmet, and feel responsible for 'not being able to do anything to help' as the injury is way too severe.

I ride with a good group of guys , and different people are stronger on different days , or on different parts of the ride . I find it tricky to balance the effort on the front of the 15 -17mph group as judging the headwind effect of needing to pedal harder , but so much to drop anyone off the back. The good ride leaders  do it effortlessly  and it all flows along at a nice steady pace. Free  for all on the hills , or last 400m to the cafe if  there are limited seats though. All  very good natured , and sometimes we do a flat out run on a rolling / undulating section of road which sometimes gets ( for us ) abit rapid.

His last post marked him as a me me me.

Group riding is far riskier than solo riding due to close quarters and you don't think clubs should insist on helmets.

Yeah call me a knobber if you insist but you do as risk assessment for a group ride that doesn't .then   and stand up in court to defend a death that happened on a group ride while refering to your risk assessment that said nah helmet not needed

I no longer ride with a club due to too many people who think the rules don't apply to them.(no mudguards on winter rides , no signaling holes , no holding their line and yo-yoing pace - just makes for a crap ride .- the old club had a few "knobbers" as you call them..... we called them ride leaders who would point out your mistakes and the rides were much a. Safer and b. More enjoyable.

Freeforalls are neither safe nor enjoyable bit like the mid ranks at most sportives

trail_rat, By the look of your recent photo - I`d say your not a member of a road bike club more to do with the fact you look overweight and unfit than being upset someone doesnt follow rules you want them to.

I am pretty sure you know very little about riding with a road club, and even more sure you dont have the skills to do so safely - even if you have these rules you get upset by if someone doesnt stick to. I suggest you stick to plodding about on your mtb.

You stay classy mooman.

Gosh, this escalated quickly.

@moonman you clearly know nothing of TR.

🤡

@brumeep you clearly think I GAF too

Well the last series of posts is a good advert for the types of people you get in club's isn't it. No thanks.

I love cycling but hate "those" types of cyclists

When I have been on the front of group riides and have inadvertently upped the pace the person next to me simply tells me to slow down a bit. Seems to work just fine.

Yes, but that means you're not a half wheeler! The true half wheeler is oblivious to the dynamics of the group around them and any sort of advice, and is only intent on getting slightly in front of the person next to them...

you clearly care enough to comment though 😉

as a ride leader with my club, I am 'one of those people' who will point out overlapping or half wheeling or other aspects where needed and appropriate. Always in a positive way, but when riding with a group, the safety of the group requires good practice. In general people accept it, but I have had a few snarky ****ers which is always disappointing. Example was a guy who I mentioned he didn't give parked cars much room....having been doored once before myself (and it won't happen a second time) I just suggested why he might move out a bit - and got a mouthful in return.

Likewise helmets; sometimes things happen and even if it is/was their choice that wouldn't be any comfort in the event I'm the one holding your head together while we wait for the ambulance..... so I make it clear - no helmet and you aren't welcome in my group. Sorry, but.

The bugbear to me is riders who won't move up groups and instead go all alpha male on the fast social and slow inters that i usually lead. The point of group riding is to ride as a group, yes we will have a tear up on the hills and let the leash off for the last bit before the stop, but watching riders disappear into a headwind or up a niggly 3% drag frankly boils my piss. It's not the TdF and you're not in a breakaway, getting exposure for your sponsor. Harder now in the days of ubiquitous Garmins and pre-posted route plans, but I have been known to let them go and then throw in a detour, see if they can then find their way to the cafe on their own. Yes, I am a git but they bring it on themselves.

Right mooman has called tr out as a fat buffer. Someone else seems to think he is the real deal.

C'mon gents put your palmares where your mouths are.

Glad you had a good ride with your new club SR 👍.

Group riding is far riskier than solo riding due to close quarters and you don’t think clubs should insist on helmets.

Wearing a helmet should always be a matter of personal choice. I choose to wear one for 99% of rides. But it's not for a club or anyone else to make that decision for me.

Love to see a mooman-trailrat shootout, bring it on 😉

It’s up to people who run the club to set the rules they want. It is then up to each individual to decide if they want to join.

It’s up to people who run the club to set the rules they want.

This is true, but it doesn't mean all their rules are right.

P.s I've ridden on many club rides but never felt the need to actually join one. To many rules 😉

This forum sometimes.....

Someone gets slagged of for having an opposing opinion to the point where they are effectively labelled as too big and unfit to be allowed the privilege of even riding a bike let alone knowing what they are talking about?

Sheeesshhh....

I don't usually wear a helmet but the proportion of club rides that have a crash due in part to riders being too close, I'm happy to wear one in group rides and think it's a very reasonable stipulation (not sure it's formally required in my club but wouldn't be surprised). Organised events seem to think it's an insurance retirement which may be over defensiveness but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ what am I going to do about that if so?

More fact on the whys of the rules.

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/clubs/article/20151103-membership-static-Club-insurance-Q-A-0

It's a few years since I met trail rat   skinny get he was then and a very fast and competent rider.  Somehow I doubt he has become a fat pootler since then

At my club, I'm a Ride Lead and Club Captain, so I'm one of those knobbers who 'insists on strict adherence to club rules', which are policies derived from the safety risk assessment, insurance requirements or just to promote the unity of the whole group. If you don't agree with these, or me or others calling them out, just don't join. Win win.

But these rules don't mean it's not an inclusive and supportive club, nor that me calling these out for safety considerations means I am deflecting from inclusiveness or supportiveness. 

I miss the times when this was a thread about how fun it is riding in a bunch and meeting new friends in a club.

I like being in a club. If I wasn't in a club, I'd have had to do 60km on my jack in the rain and wind this morning. As it was, i had some other idiots to moan to about how crappy it was today, before ultimately concluding that it was still better than being sat on the sofa watching homes under the hammer 😉

@ Trail_Rat

Are there  really rules in place at your road club(s) that  state no overtaking on hills, epecially the nominated 'ride leader' on the day ?

And no allowances for a sprint,  for a road sign / Cafe stop / End of ride car park?

I don't think I would ride with a club with stipulations like that . As a 'fast inters' ( thats  the 15-17pace , sometimes 3 groups  of 10 on a Sunday ) rider we occaisionly get 1 or 2 of the 'Fast ' (18-20mph av.)  riders  with us. if there is racing or a TT on that alot of the fast boys are attending.

Then  its alot more common to push along and have a big effort on a hill , trying to keep the fast boys in sight , we always regroup at the  top anyways .

On helmets.  I guess everyone knows my views on them by now but if a club has "helmets only" in its rules then thats the rules.  Obey them or don't join the club its really that simple.  You may think the rule wrong and thats your choice.  No one is forcing you to join that club.

Single-track mind.

Who mentioned any of that.

My gripe is with people who feel none of the insurance and risk assessment mandated group ride requirements apply to them.

None of that shite you have suggested I could give a flying **** about that's riding a bike.

Threads like this remind me why I've never enjoyed club riding.....too much bickering!

Ok, my mistake. . . . . sorry

Must have been someone else

not answering for TR, but in my club, hills and a sprint for the cafe / end of the ride are the bits where we actively encourage the group to have their head. Elsewhere we try and keep it together and as said, it tends to be the slight inclines / headwinds where the stronger and more powerful can without realising keep a pace that slower members can't. It happens, and as Ride Leader I'll ask them to keep a lid on it. Which most of the time works, but sometimes you get the alpha male types that want to keep showing off how strong they are, and I'll tactfully suggest they might consider moving up a group to one more suited to their pace, or sometimes allow them to ride away before pulling an unexpected turn.

But that's my leadership of fast social (22-24kph typical) or slow inters (24-26kph) groups. Our faster groups won't actively drop riders but there's less need to manage pace down, there's an expectation that people can keep up, and occasionally our fast (30+) group will run their ride as a proper 'rapides' ride with through and off and self sufficiency to be able to get yourself home if needed.

On proper hills, I also encourage the stronger riders to 'top and drop'.......rather than wait and get cold, when you reach the top turn around and descend to the back of the group and then ride back up again. It gives them chance to keep moving and also chat to riders they might not usually ride with.

some of the members were people I wanted to be aligned with so left.

Ooooh, you can't just leave it like that can you Jon, surely you have to spill the beanz?? Otherwise it's just like saying 'I know a secret - but I'm not telling you...'

LOL

Long time ago now and the people might not be involved. I'll pm you if you really want to know.

Actually thinking of not renewing next year, not much point (for me) outside of racing.

Most runs and training bashes around here are inclusive, so long as you’re safe you’re welcome.

I joined our newly formed local club early part of 2017, just after it started. Originally a group of mates who rode together and fancied getting more people involved for the town, and longer term plans for a youth academy.

The academy is still a year or so away, but less than 18 months on we are just shy of 400 members, one of whom is a well known national cycling figure, over 20% of members are female, we have a new national age group crit champion, have just run our first round of the local CX league, have people competing at CX, track and road from under 9s to vets, have rides on and off road, track, or indoor training sessions, every day if the week, and raised several thousand of pounds for a local kids cancer charity through numerous events.

This morning I led the short/slow Sunday social ride. 13 of us out on a what started as a cold drizzley morning when maybe some of us wouldn't have fancied going out on our own. Fantastic 2-3 hours riding, chatting and having coffee and cake with a fewmembers I'd not met before, discovering shared interests and friends inside and outside the club.

A couple of the ladies had joined the club after starting with Breeze rides, then riding with the social club rides I arrange separately, and then stepping up to the club. Incredible progression with the support of the club.

Finding the right club which will support your riding ambitions is amazing.